Former India cricketer and head coach Anshuman Gaekwad breathed his last on Wednesday night after a long battle with blood cancer. Anshuman was 71 at the time of his demise.
Gaekwad was receiving treatment for his cancer at King's Hospital in London before she returned home to Mumbai last month. Anshuman Gaekwad was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare type of blood cancer, and was admitted to a private hospital in London.
The late Indian cricketer and coach was facing shortage of funds for his cancer treatment and his former teammates, including Ravi Shastri, Kapil Dev, Sandeep Patil, Dilip Vengsarkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Mohinder Amarnath and others had appealed to BCCI to allocate funds for Anshuman Gaekwad's treatment.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released INR 1 crore for Gaekwad's cancer treatment. After spending over a year in London for his blood cancer treatment, Anshuman Gaekwad returned home to Mumbai, where he passed away.
Upon the receiving the news of Anshuman Gaekwad's demise, the Indian cricket fraternity poured in heartfelt tribute to the former India cricketer and coach. The likes of Mohammad Azharuddin, well-known cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle, Gautam Gambhir, former India women's coach WV Raman and others. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too mourned Gaekwad's demise, saying he was a 'gifted player and coach'
"Shri Anshuman Gaekwad Ji will be remembered for his contribution to cricket. He was a gifted player and an outstanding coach. Pained by his demise. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti." PM Modi wrote X.
Harbhajan Singh, who made his international debut under coach Anshuman Gaekwad, called him a 'thorough gentleman'.
Former India cricketer took his X handle (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "Anshuman Gaekwad's sir demise is a heartbreaking news. Have fond memories of making my Test debut under his coaching. A thorough gentleman. Indian cricket will be poorer in his absence. Rest in Peace. Condolences to family."
Harsha Bhogle hailed Gaekwad as one of the gritty fighters in Indian cricket.
"Very saddened to hear that one of the most gritty fighters in Indian cricket, Anshuman Gaekwad, has lost his battle to cancer. He was brave, intelligent and loved our game deeply. His family can be very proud of him." cricket commenter wrote on X.
Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin remembers Anshuman Gaekwad as a great mentor.
Azharuddin took his X handle and wrote, "Deeply saddened by the passing of Anshuman Gaekwad. A remarkable cricketer and an even greater mentor. His contributions to Indian cricket will always be remembered. Rest in peace, dear friend."
Here's how Indian cricket fratnerity reacted to Anshuman Gaekwad's demise
Anshuman Gaekwad played 40 ODIs and 15 Tests and scored 1985 runs and 269 runs, respectively. Gaekwad's highest individual Test score came against Pakistan, where he scored an unbeaten 201 in Jalandhar and spent 671 minutes at the crease.
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